K90: Hard House, Media Hype & Moving to Australia

"I'm actually playing at Creamfields soon and I am really glad to have kept my independence and still be able to play at such big events. If my music fits in with their policy, then I'm in up for playing at their events, but I don't intend to go out of my way in order to become a big shot."

Chatting to Skrufff's Benedetta Ferraro this week about the release of his new album Urban Anthems, hard house aficionado Mark Doggett K90 was as modest as his mainstream profile suggests. However, with 15 singles under his belt, remixes for Tidy Trax and Nukleuz and a worldwide reputation built from 8 years of DJing and playing live, he's just the latest hard dance producer to emerge from a scene that refuses to shrink.

"The hard house scene generates its own hype without the support of the media," says Mark. "The question should be; in spite of it's huge potential, do we really want it to cross over and get into the charts- Even though it's massive all over the world, I like the fact that it still has credibility and isn't just the latest fad."


Skrufff: The press release suggests this new album marks both your 8 Years in the music business, and a turning point in your career. What can we expect-

Mark Doggett (K90): "We (Eve Records and Mark) felt that the time was right to recap what I'd done so far and bring out a collection of K90 material. It's quite difficult to find a label that you feel is still working for you even when you're not on the phone to them, but thankfully I've developed a friendship which is constantly growing between myself and both of the guys at Eve. My musical direction in the future will follow the flow it's taken so far, I'll be continuing to keep my ears to the ground with no preconceptions or expectations."

Skrufff: Have you ever been tempted to radically change direction during these first 8 years-

Mark Doggett (K90): "To be honest, I always tend to do what I feel. As an artist I don't want to be pigeonholed. Art should be enjoyable and spontaneous, it has no point or purpose if you're told what to do. I started making music as a hobby, because I loved it so much, and I still want to keep that love and enthusiasm fresh."

Skrufff: What initially attracted you to the hard house scene-

Mark Doggett (K90): "Perhaps it's the other way 'round, the hard house scene is attracted to me. When I started, this particular scene didn't even exist. I started making hard core and it progressed from there."

Skrufff: What does underground mean to you-

Mark Doggett (K90): "To me, if you're ambitious in any way, you can't be underground. Ideally you'll want as many people as possible to hear your music."

Skrufff: So you wouldn't turn down playing at Godskitchen-

Mark Doggett (K90): "I'm actually playing at Creamfields soon and I am really glad to have kept my independence and still be able to play at such big events. If my music fits in with their policy, then I'm in up for playing at their events, but I don't intend to go out of my way in order to become a big shot. I'm not interested in signing with a larger or major record company."

Skrufff: You also have a reputation for having played at numerous underground parties, where exactly-

Mark Doggett (K90): "These days I don't do them anymore, but when I started, I mostly played at events around the Cambridge area. Never at squat parties though, they were never really my 'cup of tea' (thing/scene)."

Skrufff: Where do you enjoy playing outside the UK-

Mark Doggett (K90): "I can honestly say I love playing in Australia and New Zealand. I have many fans there and both countries' scenes continues to grow. Their attitude to partying is fresh and they all seem such a happy bunch. I always look forward to play there."

Skrufff: Have you ever considered moving over there-

Mark Doggett (K90): "New Zealand is one of my favourite places in the world, but as far as working there, I feel it's a little too chilled out for me. Later on in my Tags

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